Packet switched networks, such as Wide Area Computer Networks (WAN), in particular the INTERNET network, allow users to communicate multimedia information therebetween. For example, the INTERNET PHONE.TM., commercially available from VocalTec Inc. of N.J., USA enables audio conferencing between two parties using two computer stations connected to the INTERNET and equipped with the INTERNET PHONE.TM. application. In another application, the conventional telephone network is connected to the WAN by telephony gateways so as to enable using both network based communications and conventional telephony over the WAN.
Generally speaking, state of the art systems enable users to use a large number of communication devices as a communication device in a WAN-conventional telephony integrated system. Examples are the INTERNET PHONE.TM., conventional phone, cell phone, answering machine, facsimile machine, video conferencing equipment, pagers and any application working over the Internet which requires participation of other parties, such as multi-user interactive games. The state of the art systems are deficient in many respects one being that users at present cannot direct incoming calls via the WAN to a device of their own choice.
Another deficiency of current systems exemplified utilizing the example of audio communication is that since telephony and WAN based audio communications are separate the user may not be available, i.e. one of his devices indicates that it is busy while another audio devices he has is actually free and ready to receive audio communications.